This chili uses ground beef, kidney beans, and a straightforward spice blend — chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano — simmered low and slow for up to two hours. It makes six generous bowls and comes together in one pot, which is the honest reason most people will want to make it on a weeknight.
The technique that matters
Two steps carry the most weight here. First, toast the spices in the beef fat for a full two minutes before adding any liquid. Dry heat drives off the raw, dusty edge and deepens the flavor in a way that simmering alone won’t fix later. Second, let the chili go the full 1.5 to 2 hours on low, lid on, with only occasional stirring. Cutting the simmer short leaves the broth thin and the spices tasting separate rather than blended. Both steps happen in the same pot, so there’s no reason to rush either one.
Common problems and fixes
- Chili tastes flat even after simmering: Add salt in small increments at the end, not just at the start. Beans and tomatoes both dull saltiness as they cook down, so a final taste-and-adjust is almost always necessary.
- Broth is too thin after two hours: Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes and bump the heat to medium-low. The extra evaporation thickens it without any added starch.
- Beef clumping into large chunks: Break it up before the liquid goes in, not after. Once the tomatoes and broth are added, the beef sets and won’t break apart easily.
- Too spicy for the table: Stir in a small spoonful of tomato paste and let it cook another five minutes. The concentrated sweetness pulls back the heat without watering down the chili.
- Beans turning mushy: The recipe adds them in the last 15 minutes for a reason — if you add them at the start, they’ll fall apart. Drain and rinse them well before they go in so excess starch doesn’t cloud the broth.
Ingredient notes
Smoked paprika is worth buying if you don’t have it — regular paprika gives color but almost no flavor here, and the smoky version does real work. 80% lean ground beef is called for specifically; leaner beef dries out during the long simmer and the fat left in the pot is what you toast the spices in, so don’t drain it. If you want to skip the kidney beans, black beans hold their shape better through a long cook. Skip the sour cream garnish — it’s the one topping that requires an extra bowl and adds the least compared to a handful of shredded cheddar stirred right in at the end.
Keeping and reheating
Chili keeps in the fridge for up to four days in a sealed container and actually tastes better on day two once the spices have had time to settle. For longer storage, freeze it in portions for up to three months — leave out the beans if you’re planning to freeze, then add fresh canned beans when you reheat, since frozen beans go grainy. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of beef broth or water to loosen it; the microwave works too but stir halfway through or the edges overheat before the center is warm.
Texas Roadhouse Chili
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (5-6 quart / 5-6 litre)
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
- Ladle
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil light/refined, not extra virgin — extra virgin will smoke at the higher heat used to brown the beef
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef 80% lean for richness, about 450g
- 2 tablespoons chili powder adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked is recommended
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 can tomato paste 6 ounces / 170g
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned, with juice — one 28 oz / 794g can
- 2 cups beef broth low sodium, 480ml
- 2 cans kidney beans 15 ounces / 425g each, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Optional Garnishes
- ¼ cup sour cream for serving
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese for serving
- 3 stalks green onions thinly sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Cook until well browned, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Do not drain the fat — you will toast the spices in it.1 pound ground beef
- Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and sugar. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to toast the spices in the rendered beef fat — they should become fragrant and darken slightly but not burn.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Add the tomato paste, stirring to combine, and cook for another 2 minutes.1 can tomato paste
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.28 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth
- Cover and let simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened noticeably and the flavours have melded. The longer you go, the better it gets.
- In the last 15 minutes of simmering, stir in the drained kidney beans, salt, and black pepper. Since canned beans are already cooked, they only need 15 minutes to absorb the chili flavours without becoming mushy. Taste and adjust seasoning.2 cans kidney beans, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of on the stovetop?
Yes, but brown the beef and toast the spices on the stovetop first before transferring everything to the slow cooker. Skipping that step and dumping everything in raw produces a noticeably blander result — the slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to develop those flavors on its own. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4, adding the beans in the last 30 minutes.
Can I use dried chili peppers instead of chili powder?
You can, but it changes the process. Toast 2 to 3 dried ancho or guajillo chiles in a dry pan, then rehydrate them in hot water for 20 minutes and blend them into a paste before adding to the pot. The flavor is deeper and less uniform than chili powder, which some people prefer and others find too intense.
Does this recipe work with ground turkey or another protein?
Ground turkey works fine — use 85% lean rather than extra-lean so it doesn’t dry out. Because turkey has less fat, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil before browning and expect a slightly lighter-bodied broth; the spice quantities stay the same.
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- Smoky homemade chili seasoning blend
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- Classic Mexican guacamole
- Handmade flour tortillas
